We Don't Always Grasp The Vision Right Away

We Don’t Always Grasp the Vision Right Away

Sermon Prayer: “Heavenly Father, I stand before Your people, to deliver Your message. Though the words are mine and I prepared this message, I pray that this message is Your message in its entirety. I pray your blessing and anointing on the message, its delivery, its reception - and most of all, its application in our lives.” Amen

“Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time;

it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.

“See, the enemy is puffed up; his desires are not upright— but the righteous person will live by his faithfulness — Habakkuk 2:1-4

There are a couple of points that I want to make, as we delve into this reading and try to understand what it means to us.

Point #1 - Within this reading (specifically Habakkuk 2:4) lies the very thread of Jewish understandings. Let me share a teaching from Rabbi Sinlai. Who was Rabbi Simlai? Glad you asked.

Simlai, Rabbi, a famous Jewish teacher of the 2d century, is known as the first who reduced all laws of Judaism to certain principals. (garnered from the website - https://www.biblicalcyclopedia.com/S/simlai-rabbi.html). He was a strict believer and teacher who was extremely anti Christianity. He also changed the entire approach to understanding the Talmud: “Moses gave Israel 613 commandments. David reduced them to 11 (Psalm 15), Micah to 3 (Micah 6:3), Isaiah to 2 (Isaiah 56:1) but Habakkuk to 1 – THE RIGHTEOUS SHALL LIVE BYHIS FAITH (Habakkuk 2:4).

Point #2 – Definition of The Talmud:

The Talmud is the source from which the code of Jewish Halakhah (law) is derived. It is made up of the Mishnah and the Gemara. The Mishnah is the original written version of the oral law and the Gemara is the record of the rabbinic discussions following this writing down. It includes their differences of view. (www.google.com/search?q=talmud&oq=Talmud&aqs=chrome.0.0l5j69i60.2902j1j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8)

Lest you think that I am trying to revert to Mosaic Law albeit reduced by the prophet Habakkuk, here is what Our Lord Jesus has to say about that:

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” (Matthew 5:17) This reading alone is an encouragement to us to read and understand Old Testament writings.

Rather than typing out the text of the following, let me encourage you to read: Romans 1:17, 2 Corinthians 5:7, Galatians 2:20, Galatians 3:11-12, Hebrews 10:38 and Hebrews 11:9. Each of these readings instruct us to live by FAITH. Hmmm, isn’t that what we are reading in Habakkuk?

“See, the enemy is puffed up; his desires are not upright – but the righteous person will LIVE BY FAITHfulness.” Habakkuk 2:4 (Capitalized in part for emphasis)

Much of the Apostle Paul’s teachings hinge on this very subject!

If we are to apply this reading in our lives today, we are to – 1) Proclaim our Faith; 2) Exercise our FAITH in all that we do; review and understand where our FAITH strengths and weaknesses are and finally stand on our FAITH in the face of: greed, atrocities, debauchery, idolatry and a desire to dominate.

Proclaiming our FAITH – (not to be confused with denominations or methodology of worship)

“Then the Lord answered me and said: “Write the vision and make it plain on tablets that he may run who reads it.”

God may allude to the vision He wants to impart. We may not be ready to receive it fully. If we aren’t living in FAITH, we just might not be up to handling the vision that God has for us. There is nothing more frustrating for a church pastor than trying to share a vision for the church ministry with few or none buying into that vision.

“See, the enemy is puffed up; his desires are not upright— but the righteous person will live by his faithfulness — Habakkuk 2:4

Too often people have their own agenda and opinions as to what the vision of the church should be. Not wanting to yield to the vision of the pastor, PRIDE blocks the implementation of that vision and some degree of chaos raises its ugly head. The pastor soon learns that even a divinely inspired vision can be prematurely implemented.

The revelation of that vision will come at an appointed time. In the meantime, living by FAITH is the key to harmony, concord and consensus.

Praise God that we are not bogged down here at CFF with selfish pride and selfish agenda. We are indeed living by FAITH and God is honoring that FAITH.